"Where everybody knows my..."

Today, I am hanging out on North Post Oak in Houston.  I am getting ready to go my first ever design class for vehicle wrapping.  Maybe I'll learn how to turn my 2001 Buick Park Avenue into a hip and cool pimped out machine.  I left the house extra early because my car has an issue right now that a wrap won't fix.  It's something internal.  Because of that, I needed to allow plenty of time and I needed to drive where I could keep my speed up as much as possible.  Enough of that, but if you have a light going off in your head right now concerning my problem, please let me know.

I'm hanging at Starbucks.  There are several things I like about coming to Starbucks.  I've never been to this one, but it feels like I have.  It's a very personal place.  I walked in and they told me hello.  They had my personal selection of favorite drinks to choose from, and even the same comfy chair I'm used to back home.  No matter where I am, if I walk into a Starbucks, I feel a little more like I'm at home.

It's obvious why this is the case.  It's the same whether I'm eating at McDonald's in Mexico City, or shopping at Target in Southern California.  A Chick-fil-A sandwich tastes the same in Chicago as it does in League City, and a Q-doba burrito is a food of greatness in Charlotte, Minneapolis or Fort Worth.  Chain restaurants and other establishments are comfortable.  They may not all be expensive, but are they costing us more than money?

At first glance, I am grateful for the familiarity of a Starbucks this morning, but honestly, I would have much preferred a more local flavor - you know, the sort of Cowamunga's Coffee shop in Grapevine, or the Manhattan in Snyder, Texas.  These types of places let me into the place where I am.  I want to struggle with the culture and the location where I am, so that in the end I can rejoice with it as well.  I don't want to spend money on a great vacation only to come home feeling like I never really left.  I am one of those people, who while on vacation, will not eat at any restaurant that I can eat at back home.  This was much easier before we had kids, by the way.

One of the things I have learned this past year is that people do the same thing with churches.  We want the familiar.  We want the comfortable.  Not for the wrong reasons, either.   I often hear transplants say they are looking for a church "like the one back home."  I am not bagging on them for that.  I get it.  The sad thing is not our search for the familiar, but the church's all-too-often inability to provide something unique.  We seem to provide franchise churches well because the market will bear it up.  But my question is "Is this best for the Church?"  I am not proposing that every church go out and recreate the wheel, but I do believe that every church has a unique thumbprint to make on their community.  A couple of months ago, I was asked by a local reporter why we have chosen to do things so differently at The Springs.  I explained that if God has really called a dozen churches to our community then we have one of two options.  We must each play our own unique instrument or we should all gather under one roof.  I'm not 100% convinced that gathering under one roof would be a bad idea.  We have chosen to be different because we have other churches who are not.  Our friends at Clear Creek are experiencing great things and they started a campus in our back yard.  The music is great, the teaching is great, the kids' programs are great.  We could do a smaller version of that.  However, we would just be drawing water from the same well.  We have committed ourselves to being a different kind of church - where pastors aren't "pastors" and church is not "church."  It's not the easiest road to travel, but intuitively, it's the right road for us.

If you are looking for a church, like the one back home, you will probably not be satisfied with us, and that is okay.  We have enough relationships with other churches in our area, that we could probably help you find the one for which you are looking.  If, however, you are searching for something different...or maybe not searching for a church at all, come meet our friends.  We love Jesus and are committed to being more like Him and less like other Christians everywhere.  Sometimes, we swing and miss, and other times we hit it squarely, but we are real and honest and we really would love to meet you.

Gotta get to that wrapping class, now!  Ciao!

Getting Ready for Church

This morning my alarm went off and my mind immediately went to our service today.  I am excited about today.  I got up and did my usual morning routine and I got dressed.  I didn't get dressed as usual though.  Today, I found some dirty jeans and my boots.  I got my stuff together.  Today, my backpack was replaced with a wheelbarrow.  I got my ladder, my hedge trimmers and any tools I could gather up - I don't have many.  Today is a different kind of Sunday...but should it be?

Our community has weathered a tough storm - Hurricane Ike.  Today there are still people without power and with trees broken tattering their yards.  Our church is gathering to go out today.  We are taking our own small steps in helping some folks begin to put things back together.  As a church, we have established margin in our "church schedule" by only gathering two times a month.  This allows for some unique opportunities on the Sundays we don't gather at the YMCA.  For the next few months, those opportunities will probably consist of going out and helping our neighbors clean up.  However, other opportunities might include having a picnic with our neighbors, or going camping together.  It might be coming together in our living room to open the Bible together.  It might be any number of things.

Today, however, I am excited about 'being the church' as we move out and get dirty and sweaty and reach out into our neighborhood.  It's fun to be the Church @ the Springs!

Being the Church or Going to church?

Over the past couple of weeks, I've been challenged to see the Church as more than a meeting (by a man named Wayne Jacobsen), more than just the gathering, but a lifestyle that I can immerse myself into...a relationship.  In thinking about it, I have thought often about my life as a husband.  In 1992, I publicly committed my life to Rhonda Echols and we became husband and wife.  I wear a ring on the ring finger of my left hand to symbolize that covenant relationship I have with her.  She has taken my last name as her own and for 16 years she has been known to all as Rhonda Gartman.  She is a Gartman, no matter where she is or what she does.  She can wear her ring or not wear her ring, but she remains a Gartman either way.  She can carry Graysen to the store and she's a Gartman.  She can volunteer at Garin's school and she's a Gartman.  She's even a Gartman when she doesn't want to be a Gartman!

In a very similar way, Jesus refers to the family of God as his Bride.  He refers to this Bride as the Church.  When he speaks of this Bride, there is a relationship.  It's not a system of beliefs or a building to go to.  It's not a dream or a vision of one person...or even a handful of people.  The Church is not something we go to, but something we are.  So much of what is done in church is designed to get people to commit to that structure or organization, rather than spur us into a deeper love relationship with Jesus.  Come to our "service," "be in group," or serve here or there.  If we aren't careful, we can look up and the reason for our commitment is simply to make the machine keep running.  We limit our worship to singing and call our gatherings fellowship, when it's hard to do either in large group settings.  This is not how Jesus talked about the Church, and I believe it grieves his heart when he sees what we have done with his Bride.

The Church is not something we do, but someone we are.  That means that no matter what we do, we are the Church.  We are the Church when we go to a "church service" and when we stay home.  We are the Church when we are in a bible study and when we are drinking during the game with buddies.  We are the Church when we go on a mission trip and when we go to work everyday.  This whole thing is so much bigger than just us.  The God of the Universe has invited us into a relationship with Him through Jesus.  He did not sacrifice his life for an organization, but for a relationship.

I believe this to be the primary reason we started Church @ the Springs.  We don't need another organization in League City.  We don't need another church.  We need followers of Jesus to live fully in Him where they live and work and play and serve.  We are not the church at the Y, but we are the Church where we live.  We are the Church.  What church do you go to?  I don't go to church any more than I go to Gartman.  When we are fully committed to this life in Jesus, then we will want to be around others who are on the same journey.  Neighborhood Life is about gathering with others on the journey, admitting failures, celebrating victories and just being together.  When our love for Jesus is the center of our lives, then it will be the center of our conversations, our gatherings and our parties - whether or not we sing or open our bibles.

We may not have everything in a row and it may not look "organized" enough for some people.  Our goal is to see people falling in love with Jesus, not relying on the "professional Christians" to feed that relationship and connecting with others on that same journey in relevant and meaningful ways.  It doesn't matter if you come to the Y every first and third Sunday or not.  Our calling as Christ-followers is to be a spring of living water (John 4) and to be the Church at the Springs.  So let's be the Church, instead of worrying where we or others "go to church" or don't go for that matter.

Church on Sunday? No thanks.

Two weeks ago I challenged my Table to plan something with their neighbors before me met again.  I heard a few stories of what was happening around.  Brian and Sarah had a Birthday Bash with Bugs, and even though it had already been planned, they still invited neighbors and the neighbors came.  Along with a ton of other people (see pic).

After seeing their party, I had a thought.  If 80% of the people in our community do not go to church on Sundays, is it possible that they just won't go no matter how good the "services" are?  I mean, we have some great churches around and some great programs, but why do only 20% of the people attend.  They have looked and said, "Church on Sundays?  No thanks."

After a little bit of intentionality and a lot of relational pull, Brian and Sarah were able to get some of the 80% to their house.  Why could they get them to their house, when they won't go to church?  I am convinced that it just doesn't make sense to most people.  Why in the world would they spend their only off day or off morning to come sing in a giant choir and listen to a lecturer?  Maybe the band is good and the speaker is good, but c'mon.  In what is called the post-Christian era, if it doesn't work for people then people stop going.  When my parents were young, it didn't matter if it worked for you or if it was any good, you went to church because that's what Christians do.  I am just not convinced that's what Christ-followers would do, partly because Jesus didn't lead us to the temple, but out into the people.  I'm not sure that Jesus would attend our churches on Sunday mornings if he were walking the planet today.  Why?  My reasoning lies within the 80% that are "out there" somewhere.

Tonight was a special night for me and the life of our Table.  We hosted a "front yard" Grillin' & Chillin' in our driveway.  We had 17 people from my street come over and 14 people from other neighborhoods along 518.  18 of us had been to a "service" at the Springs, but 13 had not.  Some of my neighbors have been to other churches, but not all of them.  We tapped into the 80%...and it sure felt good...really good.  As I look at Jesus and how he lived, I see a man who seemed to love the 80% more than anything in this world.  I am starting to understand why.

Now, don't get me wrong, I think that corporate gatherings of Christ-followers have a place.  I'm just not sure that they should carry the importance that we have seemed to give them, and they definitely don't seem to be doing the job when it comes to connecting with those that Jesus would be connecting with if he were here (physically).  Some of the most interesting gatherings of Christ-followers that I've been reading about have very different gatherings than what I'm used to.  One church gathers in a room with the entire family - kids running around and everything.  The setting looks more like a living room than a church.  Other "churches" meet in coffee shops, bowling alleys, living rooms, etc.

In a couple of weeks, several churches in our area are participating in a "The Church Has Left the Building" campaign and canceling their services (well some of their services) on Sunday to go out into the community and serve.  By the way, why do we call them services when we just go and sit and listen?  This is a great thing.  I am excited that it's happening in the community.  Really.  But why only once?  Could this lead these churches to do it more often?  One other church plant in our area stops their weekly meetings when there is a 5th Sunday and they go serve.  Yes.  Nice move.  

For us, we are building in time margin in our church schedule to do four things more regularly.  We want to provide opportunities for people to belong, serve, grow and play.  We have been known to be camping on Sunday mornings, going to baseball games on Sunday mornings, going on vacations on Sunday mornings, etc.  In every one of these places, I have seen better opportunities to connect spiritually with others than sitting in a church listening to even the best speakers.  But what about connecting with God?  Is there a better way to connect with God than sitting across the table looking into the eyes of someone created in His image?  Is there a better way to connect with God than caring about the very things he cares about and doing the very things that he did?  We must continue to explore this question, "How can we be the church where we are, no matter where that is?"

Take a look at that picture above again.  Could that be the picture of the "church" in the future?  Some people think it is...Church on Sundays?  No thanks.